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Diagnosis: The modal fin-ray count of D-XVIII,12 A-II,18 and P-14 is shared by Labrisomus conditus and the related cryptic species L. nuchipinnis and L. cricota, as well as by Malacoctenus versicolor. The fin-ray count falls within the lower range for L. guppyi and L. kalisherae and the upper range for L. nigricinctus and L. albigenys. (DNA) Ecology: The masquerader hairy blenny was recently described as the endemic hairy blenny from the Brazilian offshore island of Fernando de Noronha by Sazima, Carvalho-Filho, Gasparini & Sazima (2009). However, barcode DNA surveys show that the same species has been collected in Panama and Yucatan and, indeed, most specimens sequenced in Florida are L. conditus as well. Although the original description notes some marking differences from the two other cryptic species and shorter nuchal cirri in L. conditus, it is uncertain whether these apply throughout the wide shared range (or to juveniles). L. conditus are supposed to have a less well-developed opercular ocellus with an incomplete and wide orange rim and a profusion of small blue spots over the head and body. However, true hairy blennies (with DNA sequence confirmation) vary greatly in markings and colors and some adults can overlap in appearance with the cryptic species (although many have a narrowly-delineated rounded opercular ocellus). A transitional juvenile Panamanian L. conditus has a distinctive oval-shaped opercular ocellus that is not sharply outlined, however the consistency of this mark is uncertain. L. conditus larvae are unknown or unrecognized in collections. Description: (based on the transitional specimen, larval patterns are identical to L. nuchipinnis) Body long, narrow, and thin, with a medium eye, pointed snout, and terminal medium-sized mouth. Long continuous dorsal and anal fins with a short and narrow caudal peduncle. Pectoral fins long, reaching past the vent, and pelvic fins long and thread-like; the third pelvic-fin ray is about 3/4 the length of the second. There are some small spines along the rim of the preoperculum that no longer project as larvae approach and complete transition. The full complement of large melanophores on the top of the head typically consists of a row of three on each side of the head, usually in a narrow-U, i.e. the spots get closer to the dorsal midline anteriorly; quite often there are just five (rarely 7) in a V with a single melanophore at the vertex at or near the midline of the forebrain (note that in both cases the rear side-by-side pair are typically more widely spaced than the middle pair). Often there is an additional near-surface melanophore at the midline behind the mid-brain lobes, completing a narrow-O (not the deep nuchal midline melanophore). There can sometimes be one or, uncommonly, a few smaller additional melanophores. There are no melanophores just behind the tip of the upper jaw, but there can be a small melanophore at the anterior nostril on each side. There is a cheek melanophore on each side. There is a prominent melanophore, or sometimes a few, on the inner aspect of the cleithrum visible within the gill cavity on each side. Melanophores run along the base of all of the soft dorsal-fin rays and some of the dorsal-fin spines, typically including some anterior spines, usually starting at spine 8 (can be at 5 or even 2), then 11-12, and from 14 rearward. A few individuals develop a small melanophore along the dorsal midline of the caudal peduncle. A small melanophore is often located on the body at the lateral midline on the caudal peduncle. A vertical line of melanophores develops along the base of the caudal-fin segmented rays (first proximal, then distal) and thin linear melanophores are spaced out along each side outlining the full-length of the three lower caudal-fin segmented rays (occasionally a few along the upper three rays as well). Along the ventral midline there are melanophores at the isthmus and deep behind the pelvic-fin base. There is occasionally a small melanophore or two at the surface on the ventral aspect of the abdomen, but no extensive speckling of the peritoneum is visible from below. Along the anal fin there is a melanophore at the base of each anal-fin soft ray, followed by one, sometimes two, along the ventral midline of the caudal peduncle. A row of internal melanophores overlies the vertebral column, spaced about every third vertebra, along the mid- and rear body, continuing onto the caudal peduncle. Additional internal melanophores include those at the nuchal midline, otic capsule, and overlying the abdominal organs. Transitional stage: L. conditus larvae develop metamorphic melanophores over the head and body simultaneously. The head is mostly uniformly speckled or reticulated with fine melanophores while the body is uniformly reticulated with a network of thin lines not separated into bars. As in other Labrisomus, the prominent head melanophores begin to shrink, spread, or fragment into smaller spots, or narrow into short lines (usually the middle pair); later they are obscured by underlying speckling and overlying shading. Juveniles: L. conditus develop a pattern of reticulations and dark bars on the body, a dark oval ocellus without a sharp outline on the operculum, and a dark spot on the first three dorsal-fin spine membranes. Juvenile blennies of this group can vary greatly in the degree of these dark markings; some light individuals intensify their white spots and fade, or sort of pixelate, their melanocytes, while others are darkly-reticulated and some can be almost uniformly dark. Analogues: Pretransitional L. conditus are probably identical to the larvae of the cryptic species L. nuchipinnis and L. cricota. Although the first dorsal-fin spine is shorter than the third in adult L. conditus and L. nuchipinnis vs. longer in L. cricota, it is likely that the fin spine differences only emerge at or after transition. L. conditus larvae can resemble large Malacoctenus larvae since they have thinner heads (side-to-side), smaller eyes, and smaller mouths than most other large Labrisomus species. Nevertheless, the melanophore row along the base of some of the spinous dorsal fin separates L. conditus larvae from all Malacoctenus larvae other than the occasional variant specimen of M. triangulatus. The latter, however, do not have melanophores outlining the caudal-fin segmented rays or the central caudal peduncle spot and usually have more numerous and graded-size head spots (as well as higher median-fin ray counts, a short third pelvic-fin ray, and a different dorsal-fin outline, with short posterior spines). L. haitiensis larvae have a similar slim morphology and share the row of melanophores along some of the spinous dorsal-fin base and, to varying degrees, most of the other markings of larval L. conditus, but they can be distinguished by a short and inconspicuous third pelvic-fin ray, a pair of melanophores behind the tip of the upper jaw (apparently absent on L. conditus larvae), and higher fin-ray counts. Transitional L. conditus larvae are distinguished by fin-ray counts, persistent larval melanophores, and their metamorphic melanophore pattern, i.e. a uniform pattern of fine reticulations. They are also separated from transitional Malacoctenus larvae by having shorter cirri (especially orbital), the fine metamorphic melanophores on the head mostly diffusely distributed (vs. in discrete patches), as well as developing at the same time as body markings (vs. head first), and the dorsal-fin outline (relatively longer posterior spines). The other Labrisomus species develop uniform shading or bars, except for the two allied cryptic species which share the reticulations of L. conditus: transitional L. cricota may be distinguished by the first dorsal-fin spine being longer than the third, and transitional L. nuchipinnis probably can only be separated when they develop their well-outlined rounded opercular ocellus. Juvenile L. conditus are separated from most other labrisomids by the long snout, anterior dorsal fin spot, dark reticulations on the body, and an oval opercular ocellus that is not sharply outlined. L. nuchipinnis, L. nigricinctus, and L. filamentosus have a well-outlined rounded ocellus. Other Labrisomus juveniles with a dark spot on the operculum include the cryptic species L. cricota, which share most markings but have a diffusely broad and orange edge to the opercular ocellus and the first two dorsal-fin spines distinctly longer than the third (vs. equal or shorter in the other two species); L. guppyi, with no dorsal-fin spot; and L. haitiensis, with no dorsal-fin spot and a short third pelvic fin ray. The 19- and 20-spined Labrisomus species can be separated by higher fin-ray counts and blunter snouts, less than two-thirds the bony orbit diameter.
